This article originally appeared in a previous issue of Fly Angler's Online and now the original author has suggested a new way to produce this item.

FLYDRYER made from a film canister, a piece of nylon window screen and a length of old fly line.

Original Design

New and Improved method

I got the idea for this from the March/April, 1993 issue of The American Angler. Charles Byers of Fairview Heights, Illinois had an article on making these fly dryers in the Tying Tips section of the magazine. I use Mr. Byers' method with a couple changes. I use nylon screen, old fly line in place of monofilament and smaller windows. Here's how I make a fly dryer:

The materials are an empty film canister with cap, a 4 in. X 1 3/4 in. piece of nylon window screen and a 16in. length of old fly line. The fly line should be cut with a taper at each end. I use a candle to heat a home made bodkin, with which I make holes in the canister. Homemade bodkin because the holes must be big enough to let the fly line pass through. I made mine from a piece of stiff wire and a dowel.

First make 2 diametrically opposite holes in the canister cap, about 1/8 in. from the edges. Put the cap on the canister (for the 1st one you make) and put 2 holes, about 1/4 in. apart, in the canister directly under each cap hole. See the canister on the LEFT of the picture. The fly line will go through these holes.

See the 2nd canister from the LEFT in the picture. Instead of these windows, use a step drill to bore a round hole on opposite sides of the canister. See the picture below.

Now place the screen inside the canister. It will overlap a bit. Position this overlap at 2 of the fly line holes. Push one end of the fly line thru the bottom hole and thru the overlapped screen from the outside of the canister. This is a bit tricky, the taper cut should help. Push about 2 inches thru and tie an overhand knot in the end of the line. Then pull it back so the knot stays inside. Now thread the line thru the top hole and overlapped screen into the canister. Thread the line up thru a cap hole and down thru the other cap hole. Thread the line thru the screen and top hole (from inside) of the canister, then thru the bottom hole and screen into the canister. Tie a knot. Pull the line back and the fly dryer is finished. Slide the cap down the line unto the canister.

Loop the line unto your vest and use the dryer instead of the wool patch. ~ Bob Stuart